ECN Electrical Forum
Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals

That is actually not that bad an idea. You might want to make the magic number the safe load on the generator and the cords/breakers labeled with the average cruising amperage.

Guys:
I would love to go that route....but I'm not the EC!!!

How about the Green Acres DVD being included with the interlock??

John,

I just from another friend (and AHJ) of mine It seems that lab Wyle Labs have just lost their testing lab NRTL label. Go to this link: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=22157

and see what OSHA has to say about them.

As Scooby Doo would say, Ruh Roh! ...I noticed in the document that they specified the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 were not met, but don’t seem to specify which test procedures or products and as of what date they were not in compliance, so I’m wondering if this could somehow affect equipment that Wyle Labs tested previously that has already been installed or is currently in warehouse inventory or is it just anything from beyond the date of their NRTL revocation. Could product recalls be in the cards?

Harold:
Going thru the links...that's a lot of reading. Short skim looks like they lost NRTL ststus for everything that they may touch. (Fire extinguishers, electrical equip., tools, etc.

I'll keep my eye out for anything with their logo/label, and pass this on.

FWIW, I can't recall seeing anything with their name on it.

Maybe in this case NRTL means Non Recognized Testing Agency?

John,

Yeah, here I thought I found something good, that was listed and inexpensive, only to find out that they lost their NRTL label. Ruh Roh is right. Next time I guess I will just keep my mouth shut and hands off the keyboard!

There are still a number of interlock kits like this out there including the ones sold by the panel manufacturers.
When you see the price of the OEM you start suspecting that they are the ones who blow the whistle on cheaper competition.
It is less than a dollar's worth of sheet metal and not exactly rocket science engineering. The money is in getting the NRTL stamp.

If this thing was substantially mounted and positively interlocked the two breakers, I would not have any trouble approving it. My time would be spent looking at the rest of the generator install.

I agree, that it is an efficient way to install a generator with out a lot of fuss. Next time someone shows me pictures of what they want to install, I guess I will have to dig deeper to make sure that it is still listed.

If you are digging, you should find out which products they didn't really test.